NFC South Predictions

I think it's safe to say that the NFC South has the biggest sports headline of the year with the whole Michael Vick drama that has been going on for what seems like forever. It is fitting that they have the headlines once again after stealing them last year with Carolina's downfall and the incredible run of the resurgent New Orleans Saints. After the disaster of Katrina, the Saints returned to New Orleans heroes, and certainly provided the people of New Orleans with a welcome diversion to the rebuilding effort that continues to go on to this day. However, it is a new season, with new expectations for everyone and new stories to capture the minds of Americans.

NFC SOUTH

Predictions:

New Orleans (12-4)
Tampa Bay (7-9)
Carolina (5-11)
Atlanta (4-12)

NEW ORLEANS
Well, it seems that everyone in this division got a fairly difficult schedule, and it is no different for New Orleans, but they are the only team in this division who is capable of beating the teams they play. Don't think that last year was a fluke. Drew Brees has proven that he is an elite quarterback in this league, and has been very consistent since he became the starter in San Diego in 2002. He has thrown for over 3000 yards every season in 4 of the 5 years, and he only played in 11 games in 2003. Expect another year of about 3500 yards and 25-30 touchdowns, if not more with the newest addition of Robert Meachem from Tennessee at WR. Add him to the already potent offense which includes Marques Colston, Devrey Henderson, and the always dangerous rushing combo of Deuce McCallister and the great Reggie Bush. This should be the best offense in the NFC once again. The only thing that concerns me is the defense and how they didn't really improve it from last season. I'm not sold on them just yet, as they ranked 13th in the NFL in points against last year. Maybe I'm wrong, but we'll see what they can do for an encore. The first game against the Colts should be an exciting league opener, and a look as to what the Super Bowl could have been like last year. This team should once again contend for the NFC crown and be a legitimate Super Bowl contender.

TAMPA BAY
Yes, this is how bad the NFC South is. Tampa Bay was 4-12 last year after an 11-5 2005 campaign. What was the problem? Well, pretty much everything. The defense was not its old self, possibly showing its age, as they were 21st in points against and 17th in yards against. However, the offense was nearly non-existent, ranking 31st in points and 29th in yards. Cadillac Williams was a shell of his 2005 form, rushing for only 798 yards and 1 measly touchdown, which was certainly the central problem on offense. A team does need a quarterback to step up and be able to throw when the run game isn't there, though, and the Bucs ranked 26th in passing yards last year, which didn't help the problem. The Chris Simms era seems to be over, as he is now buried on the depth chart behind Jeff Garcia, Luke McCown, and Brad Gradkowski. This offense should be able to turn it around with the savvy vet Garcia, who was let go mysteriously by the Eagles after his impressive half last year. The defense upgraded in the draft with the addition of Gaines Adams out of Clemson to play defensive end, although I would have liked to see Simeon Rice groom him as the heir apparent, but I understand letting him go. Derrick Brooks is on his last legs, but he is still nothing to sneeze at. This schedule is too tough for them to be a serious playoff contender, and 7-9 is a pretty decent mark, but I believe in this team to turn it around from last year.

CAROLINA
Well, Jake Delhomme should be feeling the heat this season after this team underachieved their talent and didn't meet the ridiculous expectations that were made of them. Now that the oft-sacked David Carr is in town as a backup (one of the best backups in the business, I might add), Delhomme may have to do the impossible in order to keep his job. While he isn't a bad quarterback, he certainly isn't what everyone thought he was when last year started. He set the bar too high for himself by taking the Panthers to the Super Bowl a few years ago, and now everyone expects him to be almost superhuman. Fact is, he has nobody to throw to other than Steve Smith, and the running game is a work in progress, with DeShaun Foster and DeAngelo Williams splitting carries. Williams seemed to have the edge in training camp even though he had about half the yards that Foster did last year, but it seems that Foster has reclaimed the "top" spot. The offense must do better through the air than they did last year if they want to contend for a playoff spot. The defense was a beast last year, ranking 8th in points against, 7th in yards given up, 11th against the run and 4th against the pass. They return the core of their D, as Julius Peppers and Mike Ruckus anchor the D-line at the ends and Kris Jenkins stuffs the middle at defensive tackle. Dan Morgan returns to patrol at middle linebacker after being injured last year, and Na'il Diggs retains his outside spot. Chris Gamble, the former 2-way star at Ohio State, is back to play corner, and they traded for Chris Harris from the Bears to upgrade at safety. This group should once again rank in the top 5 in the NFC, but the offense is the big concern. I don't think they get it together under the intense pressure, and Delhomme finds himself as a backup at the end of the year to David Carr.

ATLANTA
New quarterback. Aging running back. New coach. Negative spotlight. Not much more could go wrong for the Dirty Birds. This isn't exactly what Bobby Petrino pictured walking in to when he left Louisville in the off-season. Instead of Michael Vick, he gets the problematic Joey Harringon. Instead of the young Warrick Dunn, he gets the older version with a young Jerious Norwood. The good news is that they still have Alge Crumpler and made a nice pickup in Joe Horn, but I doubt that will be enough for Harrington to succeed, considering he had Roy Williams, Mike Williams, and Charles Rogers to throw to at one point, but 2 of those 3 became busts. Is Michael Jenkins heading down that same path of wide receiver busts? A first round pick in 2004, he has never had more than 39 catches in one season and no more than 508 yards. They lead the league in rushing in 2006, but you have to think that will decrease with Vick, a 1,000 yard rusher, gone. Replacing him is tough, obviously, and after trading backup Matt Schaub to the Texans, it becomes even more of a headache. The defense was middle-of-the-pack last year in scoring, were top 10 in rush defense, but had almost no pass defense, ranking 29th against the pass last year, which is surprising considering they have a Pro Bowler in DeAngelo Hall. Is Lawyer Malloy past his prime? Most likely, as he had zero interceptions last year, and the Falcons need more than that if they want their defense to be any better. In the end, the Vick distractions will be too much for them, Harrington won't have a resurrection, and this team looks to be doomed in its first season under Petrino, although I think he has what it takes to bring this team back to playoff contention down the road.